Throughout the centuries tea has been a custom of calm, gathering, relaxation and tradition.

Chinese tea ceremonies at weddings as an offering to parents and thanking them for raising them.

In Indian, chai tea can be found on every street corner.

In Morocca, mint tea is practically their national drink.

Classic British afternoon tea time. (I always picture cucumber sandwiches and the Queen)

And in Russia "Zavarka" is tea time with a piece of cake. They called it "naked" if not eaten with cake.

No matter where in the world, or what tradition, tea time is a time for oneself. A time to sit and enjoy this small pleasure or warmth when it's cool or cooling when it's hot. This is this weeks Self Care Sunday.

Take the time to go a tea store and browse, smell, ask questions about what teas are for different things. Possibly see if a friend sells tea through a direct sales business. (I love supporting local business and friends). Or even take some time in the tea aisle at the grocery store. I like to stand there and read all the interesting flavour mixtures companies have come up with.

Set aside some time this week and plan it in your calendar. Yes, we are planning 30 minutes of relaxing tea time people. Maybe plan everyday at a certain time you take this 10-20, or 30 minutes to sit down with your tea.

A few tips for your tea time:

Turn off t.v''s or media if you can. Or be in another room if you are using it to distract your kids!
Find your favorite mug. Everything is better in your favorite mug.
Slow down and pay attention to all the sensations of drinking the tea. Notice the temperature as your mug touches your lips.
Is the tea bitter, sweet, sour? I love mint tea and I like the tingle left on my tounge long after the sip is gone.
Feel the warmth of the tea in the throat and belly.
Pay attention to the aroma.
Sit quietly for a little while. Set a time if you are concerned about getting back to your busy day.

How do you like your tea? sweet with sugar or honey? Smooth with cream or milk?

My favorite is mint tea, black without sugar or milk.

Love,

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife

Welcome back to Self Care Sunday. This week let's talk about some restorative yoga. There are many styles and types of yoga, all used for different things. Restorative yoga is a practice more about allowing the body to relax and rest. There is minimal effort put into postures. You take some time setting yourself up in comfort and then relax into it for a few minutes at a time.

Some of the benefits of restorative yoga are:

It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Turning off the flight or flight response (stress) and tapping into the rest and digestion cycle of the body. This is calming in the mind and physiologically in the body.
Helps create body awareness. Slowing down for a few minutes and noticing the sensations in the body is helpful for the rest of our day. Noticing something like tight shoulders and neck, make us more mindful when we sit down at our desks of our posture.
Improves immunity
improves respiratory and blood circulation
Anyone can do it, nearly anywhere!

The beauty of this weeks self care, is that it can be as short or as long as you would like. 10-15 minutes on a lunch break at work, half an hour before bed or whenever you'd like. Make sure to schedule this time though. We often have wonderful intentions of doing something and put it off until "tomorrow". So plan your time this week to practice restorative yoga once or twice.

Tips to get the most out of your practice:

Turn off your phone and other distractions.
Grab a sweater and/or blanket in case you get cold.
Grab a pillow or two.
Find any other comfort items available given the space. Candles, eye covers, bolsters, yoga blocks or straps.
Put together some calming music to listen to.

You can set a gentle timer to remind you to move after 5 or 10 minutes to the next pose or back to work, in case you fall asleep. Below is a few poses you can try or you can search the internet for a few more.

After a few poses, end in savasana, by lying on your back without props, take note of how your body feels, taking a few big deep breaths and moving on with your day.

Love,

Jen